**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened down 15-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

12,931 on turnover of $1.9-billion NT.

The Tai-Ex followed other regional markets and lost ground on Thursday, after

Wall Street fell, reversing course after two days of gains.

**CEC Defends Voting Ban on People in Coronavirus Quarantine **

The Central Election Commission is defending its decision not to allow people

with the coronavirus and their close contacts from casting ballots in next

month's local elections.

Speaking at a legislative hearing, commission chairman Lee Jin-yong said the

bans are not unconstitutional, as restrictions on the movement of positive

cases and their contacts are in accordance with the Communicable Disease

Control Act.

According to Lee, the Council of Grand Justices has previously ruled that

such restrictions do not violate the Constitution.

The statements comes as lawmakers have been debating whether the ban

infringes (侵權) on voter's rights and contravenes Article 23 of the

Constitution on protecting individual's rights and freedoms.

**US Military Has Proof of Iranian Forces in Crimea **

The U.S. military says it has proof that Iranian forces are on the ground in

Crimea, supporting the Russian military attacks against Ukrainian targets.

AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports.

**Chad Protesters Clash With Security Forces **

Chadian security forces have opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in

the country’s two largest cities killing at least 60 people.

Authorities imposed a curfew after Thursday’s violence, which came amid

protests in the central African nation against interim leader Mahamat Idriss

Deby’s two-year extension of power.

France, the African Union and others swiftly condemned (譴責) the security

crackdown on the demonstrators.

A Chadian government spokesperson says 30 people were dead in the capital.

Organizers of the march, though, placed the toll higher, at 40, with many

wounded by bullets as well.

There was no independent corroboration of the figures given by the two sides..

Another 32 protesters were killed in Chad’s second-largest city, Moundou,

according to an official in the city’s morgue.

**WHO Investigating Complaints Against Syrian Office **

Staffers at the World Health Organization’s Syrian office have alleged that

their boss mismanaged millions of dollars, plied government officials with

gifts, and acted frivolously as COVID-19 swept the country.

More than 100 confidential documents, messages and other materials obtained

by The Associated Press show WHO officials told investigators that the

agency’s Syria representative engaged in abusive behavior, and consistently

(一貫的) misspent taxpayer funds.

Some of the allegations include the representative throwing a party that cost

more than $10-thousand US dollars of WHO funds, mostly to honor her own

achievements, as well as hiring underqualified relatives of government

officials, and meeting with Russian military officials, which would violate

the W-H-O's neutrality as a UN organization.

Complaints from at least a dozen personnel have triggered one of the biggest

internal WHO probes in years, at times involving more than 20 investigators.

That was the I.C.R.T. news,

Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded

every day in the afternoon.

Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

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